Talent, team chemistry and fast feet: Huskies look at bright soccer season ahead

May 08, 2017 04:39PM
● By Travis Barton

Senior wingback Josh Raty controls the ball against Roy. “We've got wingbacks that are talented, they can get up and down the field, it's a demanding position,” said head coach Eric Raine. (Steve Carnahan/MyTopPix)

Talent, team chemistry and fast feet: Huskies look at bright soccer season ahead [5 Images]
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It has been two
years since the Hillcrest Huskies boys soccer team played an elimination game
in May, they stand to reverse its fortunes this year.

“At least talent
wise, it’s the best group of kids that we’ve had together in a while,” said
senior captain Cade Kartchner.

With a varsity
squad filled with premier-level players, players and coaches feel strongly
about what they can accomplish this season.

“Honestly,
I think we can go far in the playoffs and I hope that we do. We have the
talent, we have the chemistry,” Kartchner said.

In 2015, the
Huskies lost a play in game to West High School
that would have seen them qualify for the playoffs.

“They were just
happy to get there,” said fourth-year head coach Eric Raine. “These guys have a
different expectation now. We don't want to just get there, we want to play the
last game of the season.”

To reach this
level of confidence, the program has suffered through its growing pains. From
fractious relationships
in the previous years to the injuries faced
in the beginning of this season.

Raine said in
late March that the unorthodox two-week break in early April between games
(because of the region’s three different school districts) would provide some
respite for the Huskies’ mass of injuries.

“We’re fighting these nagging injuries
that have sort of lingered from club ball and we haven’t
really given them a break between conditioning and games,” Raine
said and added
they hadn’t played a game at full-strength yet.

In a style of
play that’s malleable between controlled possession with skilled center
midfielders and quick counter attacks with the speedy Kartchner, the team feels
good about its abilities.

But Raine said
it requires the right group of players.

“We want
talented players to have the ball at their feet so we try to make a style that
enables you to get your best players on the ball,” he said.

Possibly the
most important element is the team’s chemistry, often riddled with discord
through Raine’s first three years.

Kartchner said
there was a disparity with older players refusing to buy into Raine’s
philosophy.

“On the field
that resulted in a lot of dysfunction,” he said. That mentality, he added, has
changed.

“I think the
positivity and approachability of the coaches, along with the mentality of the
players coming up through the system, has really led to our improved team chemistry,”
Kartchner said.

Whether it’s the
team eating lunch together for weeks at a time or the preseason tournament in
Orem that had them
eat dinner, watch a movie and hang out during an overnight stay at a hotel.

“We work hard on
building the team chemistry,” Raine said. “The bonding is a big deal to us
because at the end of the day I'm not sure if it’s the wins and losses I care
about, it’s giving
them an experience of a lifetime.”

This is the
first senior group he’s had all players chosen by him.

There are signs
of growth as well. Last year saw the Huskies defeat then two-time defending
state champion Skyline. This year they felt they outplayed defending region
champ Murray before ultimately falling 2-3 on a penalty
call in the last few minutes. This comes after losing 0-5 to the same team a
year ago.

“Maybe realizing
we should've won against Murray is a sign of the progress that they’re making.
Getting them to realize they're progressing is the deal, and
I hope they feel like they are,” Raine said.

That message is
sinking in with his players.

“This is the
best year Hillcrest has had for soccer ever,” Kartchner said. “Just from the
first preseason game we had…the passing sequences we were putting together, the
off-the-ball
runs (were) incredible.”